4,000 EU-Related OrganisationsHave an Office in Brussels

Thanks to our Position,We Know where to Find Talents

Recruiting those whoUnderstand the Institutions

ABOUT US

Historically, some characteristics of the EU affairs marketplace have made it a difficult arena for recruiters to access.

This could be due to the perceived preference of employers to recruit via the ‘word of mouth’ approach, not surprising in the village-size EU bubble.

Having discussed the challenging hiring issues experienced in this market, we identified the need for a dedicated service; bringing objectivity, qualified assessment, directly approached candidates and the elimination of potential conflicts of interest.

TAILORED RECRUITMENT AND HEADHUNTING SOLUTIONS IN THE EU AFFAIRS AREA

EARS is the first recruitment firm specialising in International & EU Affairs. We have created a service that offers an executive search approach to recruiting for the roles between entry level and senior executive.

It has been established and anchored in the European quarter of Brussels, at the forefront of European Affairs activity.

Our clients retain our Services and we offer them an unprecedented kind of Commitment.

From the outset of each assignment, we agree with our clients on a Search & Selection strategy which is appropriate to their individual requirements.

As our clients’ retained recruitment service providers, we guarantee that no stone is left unturned in our search and a discrete and confidential approach is applied throughout the hiring process.

All of our clients are engaged with the EU or International Institutions and include the following :

European and National Associations

Corporations (Inhouse lobbies)

Public Affairs & Project Consultancies

Law firms

NGOs and Civil Society Organisations

Think Tanks & Education Training Providers

Intergovernmental Organisations

Permanent Representations and Diplomatic Missions

Regional Representations

OUR SERVICES

Main Services

Search and selection

Through our Search & Selection process, we identify candidates who not only have the necessary skills and experience to meet your specific needs but who will prove to be an ideal fit for your organisation. The following steps are taken in the process but can be adapted accordingly :

Briefing

Search

Interviews & Assessments

Shortlist

Completion

Office Setup

For our clients who are wishing to establish a permanent presence in Brussels, we can assist with the identification and supply of the key individuals who will take the challenge to represent you in the European capital for the first time.

Targeted Services

Our in-depth experience and resources allow us to offer our clients a range of additional services, from Interview assistance to reference checking. These additional services can be included as part of the Search & Selection process or offered individually on an ad hoc basis.

Talent Alert

With priviledged access to a broad range of potential talents, EARS is in a position to alert its clients when we encounter a profile that could be an appropriate fit. This match could be made based on skills, experience and personality/character.

Assessments

To support our interview process, EARS can utilise upon request from its clients a variety of assessments that enable us to further qualify a potential candidate’s suitability. These can include psychometric and/or technical assessments specifically designed for the role in question.

Consultants

Jason Descamps

Founder

Jason is an entrepreneur who started his career in recruitment, including with one of the global leaders in Executive Search. He has helped a variety of clients appoint middle to senior management profiles in a wealth of sectors, ranging from Healthcare/Pharma to Financial Services through Industry and Media. He holds two master’s degrees, in Communication and in European Studies.

Jason earned his black belt in Judo at the age of 15 which obviously required not only a large dose of discipline but also a healthy amount of tenacity and determination. This same tenacity is applied today to ensure that no stone will be left unturned when working on your behalf to find the ideal candidate. He approaches all assignments with professionalism and integrity, enhanced by an enthusiasm to deliver the highest standards of service at all times.

He is currently an invited Professor at IHECS (Brussels) to teach undergraduates from the Master Communication and European Policies how to navigate the EU job market in Brussels.

Anna Koj

Consultant

Anna has extensive experience in high-profile strategic communications, public affairs, institutional relations and project management in public and private sector.

She holds an MBA with Communications and Leadership. Throughout her career, working with key EU institutions and high-level international partners, she has developed a particular focus on civil and human rights issues, public diplomacy and business ethics. She conducts trainings in advocacy and healthy leadership practices.

In her work, Anna brings together entrepreneurial spirit and humane approach. She takes time to understand the client’s needs prior to and throughout the whole recruitment process. At the same time, exploiting her pro-active can-do approach she makes sure to do the utmost while searching for the perfect candidate for her client. Anna attaches great importance to professional integrity, committing to provide the highest quality service.

Martin Porter

Senior Advisor – Energy, Climate & Environment

Martin is a highly entrepreneurial, networked and reputed European Public Affairs and Communications professional, with 20 years of consulting experience with network and independent PR agencies advising blue-chip multinationals, business associations, coalitions and NGOs. He is leading strategic engagement and tactical delivery of programmes and activity designed to influence the EU public policy agenda, legislative and regulatory processes, in particular in the area of industry, environment and sustainability related issues.

He became a Senior Associate for Cambridge University’s Programme for Sustainability Leadership in 2011 and prior to that developed his public affairs consultancy activities largely in this area, as he established his career in Brussels through international PR agencies such as Weber Shandwick and Edelman, as well as co-founding Brussels’ first ‘think-do tank’, The Centre.​

Petra Bartol

Researcher

As a researcher, Petra makes sure that candidates are approached in a professional manner. It takes a keen eye to spot the perfect match, and in her work, she strives merely for such excellence.

Petra obtained an MBA at the University of Leuven (KUL), majoring in International Business Management. She is passionate about setting goals and finding ways to reach them.

With her inquisitive and proactive personality, she values learning from experiences and other people, be it at work or generally in life. She excels at taking all options into consideration and at finding solutions.

She believes results come from focus, hard work and optimism, which she also applies in her every-day life.

While she loves travelling, she also spends a great deal of time on making music and doing sports.

William Dazy

Senior Advisor – ICT & Technology

William offers 15+ years of experience in the EU affairs sector in Brussels.

Joining from A2 Policy Advice, a consultancy he founded in 2014, William has a track record in the ICT and consumer electronics industries, having set up and managed Canon’s government affairs office for 6 years.

Prior to that, he was a senior public affairs consultant advising blue-chip financial institutions, telecom operators and internet service providers while at Hill+Knowlton.

He has a wealth of experience in dealing with technology issues from a variety of angles.

William started his EU career at DIGITALEUROPE, the leading industry federation for the tech sector, after a Master in Political sciences at IEP Strasbourg.

Benedicte Bejm-Mayer

Senior Advisor – Health

Benedicte offers 20 years of experience in European Affairs.

She studied a master in Political Science, worked at the European Commission DG Relex, for a European Consultancy in Brussels, then for MEDEF ( French Business Confederation) as Permanent Representative in Brussels for 10 years.
She is highly entrepreneurial, she has created 2 Companies in European Affairs and connected Health.

She specialises in Health issues and is fully involved in Global Health:
Medicines, medical devices, impact of lifestyle habits.

She is a Permanent Representative of the European Institute for Health, Member of Sport Intergroup in the European Parliament and is highly connected.

She considers that Health is a key factor of progress and value creation for Europe !

Brussels is a major location for various consultancy types surrounding the EU Institutions, offering a variety of services : from the regularly encountered Public Affairs/Public Relations to Funding Management and in ...

Whilst Brussels is hosting hundreds of Law Firms, EARS only liaises with those that are, either totally or partially, specialist in EU legislation. Most of the time these firms are focused on EU competition matter...

Whilst the most common Intergovernmental Organisation in Brussels might be the EU itself, EARS maintains contact with a variety of IOs across a range of areas from Security & Defence and Air Traffic Management...

Think Tanks have developed different business models over the course of the years in Brussels, from the independents active in Lobbying as a "third voice", to those that are client-oriented and that tend to offer ...

Together with Washington, Brussels is one of the most popular locations for diplomatic representation. Within this niche, EARS makes a clear distinction between Foreign Embassies/Missions to the EU and Permanent R...

With an ever-increasing presence, Regional Representations have been continuously building their teams around the EU Institutions, to the extent that many of them have surpassed in terms of staff numbers a series ...

CANDIDATES

EARS tends not to advertise its clients’ assignments. However, we are always interested in hearing from experienced individuals in the European Affairs arena and invite you to contact us, in confidence for an initial discussion. If you wish to forward your CV please complete the fields below.

INSIGHTS

The new regime for a « statut unique » - What impact for the European presence in Brussels ? On 1st January 2014, the new regime of a « statut unique » which unified the status of employees and workers in Belgium came into force. These two categories will therefore now benefit from the same « treatment », putting our society a…

CFO asks CEO: « What happens if we invest in recruiting our people & then they leave us? » CEO: ‘What happens if we don’t, and they stay? » Inspired from a famous quote widespread through Linkedin which initially intended to highlight the importance of personnel development, the adapted quote can only reflect the same concern about investing in people….

TESTIMONIALS

EARS consultants have been very professional in completing a successful search for the Secretary General of our association. The profile of the candidates submitted was very adhering to our requests, although requirements were not easy to combine. Particularly appreciated was the ability to focus in short time on the key issues of our needs. The willingness to work together and the support provided at all stages of the research were really excellent.

Mario Ge, Secretary General

Thanks to its professionalism and good integration into the public affairs network in Brussels, EARS demonstrated its added value as a European Affairs Recruitment Specialist and enabled Cerame-Unie to successfully complete the search for a new Environment & Innovation Manager.

Renaud Batier, Director General

EARS provided a first class service from start to finish. We were kept well informed at every stage, and all deadlines were met. Feedback from candidates indicated that they also felt that EARS had managed the whole process professionally. We are delighted that the recruitment process managed by EARS has resulted in us appointing someone of Daniella’s quality. She has already established herself as a valued member of our small team

Steve Williams, Director

Looking for a very specific profile of a candidate, EARS successfully helped us. We were pleased with the friendly and professional service of EARS, finding an exact match for our motivated team.

Stefan Deix, EUCAR Director

We greatly appreciated EARS’ professionalism and efficiency in helping us recruiting a Communications and Government Affairs Executive. Their research was focused, they have a very good network within the European Affairs environment, and provided us with excellent feedback and follow-up, including after the search was completed. Many thanks to the EARS’ team!

Olivia Regnier, Director IFPI European Office

I wanted to thank EARS again for the excellent work they delivered and for the valuable exchanges we had. All the time I felt perfectly accompanied by your experience and expert know-how! I am very happy that CIBP was able to attract the perfect candidate to join our team.

Andrea Karner, Secretary General

In one of our most recent recruitment processes, we worked together with EARS to find a good expert to our organisation in cooperative affairs. We highly appreciated the professional approach of EARS staff and their assistance to conclude the process with excellent outcome for our Copa-Cogeca team!

Pekka Pesonen, Secretary General

EARS helped us recruit a Principal Consultant with a very specific profile and fitting our corporate culture. We very much appreciated their flexibility, commitment and attention to our real needs and expectations, which led to the successful recruitment of an excellent professional within the agreed timeframe.

Monica Pesce, Managing Director

For the (identification and) recruitment of a new manager to complete their EHS/REACH team, Eurometaux was very pleased with the support and services provided by EARS in terms of the attention that was paid to the needs of our team, their resilience and careful follow-up.

Violaine Verougstraete, EHS Director

Eurometaux was very pleased with the services provided by EARS in terms of rigor, timeliness, quality of the candidates proposed and follow-up.

Guy Thiran, Director General

EARS supported us in finding a senior policy director. The process and handling was excellent. The level of candidates was

absolutely in line with my expectations. I will go back to EARS should the need arise in the future.

Diederik de Stoppelaar, Secretary General

EARS was able to source candidates with a very niche profile, helping us to successfully staff a senior function at the European Affairs/business intersection.

Diego Pavia, Chief Executive Officer

Working with EARS for a top recruitment in our organisation has been a success. They have a sound understanding of the HR needs for these positions and provided us with a highly personalised service, matching our organisation’s culture.

Piero Formenti, President

EARS helped us recruit a Senior Project Manager with a very specific profile. Their approach was highly adaptable and resourceful and we particularly enjoyed the attention they paid to our unique requirements throughout the whole process.

Mihaela Dascultu, Deputy Managing Director

Despite the fact that the profile we wanted was very hybrid, EARS was instrumental in implementing a new strategic approach that was in contrast to our previous attempts. Since the successful candidate came on board, EARS has never lost contact with either party.

Imelda Vital, Corporate Affairs Area Manager

EARS was a very efficient provider, in particular in respect of the very short timing we had to ask them to work with.

Sabine Nafziger, Secretary General

COACHING

When applying for a job in European Affairs, experienced professionals, just as much as fresh graduates are often left without any meaningful guidance which could prepare them to face the seemingly complex recruitment process. Our expert coaching service will equip you to tackle the following challenges :